101 - That '70s Pilot
Episode Synopsis: Eric's parents give him their old Vista Cruiser station wagon, and, against his dad's orders, Eric takes his five friends out of town to a Todd Rundgren concert. On the way, the battery dies, and they're forced to give up two tickets to get a replacement.
Theme: Relationships
Music Break: Todd Rundgren
Open My Eyes (Nazz, 1969)
Hello It's Me (Todd Rundgren, 1972)
I Saw the Light (Tood Rundgren, 1972)
Bang the Drum All Day (Todd Rundgren, 1982)
Woke or Joke: A woman's place in Point Place
Burn of the Week Winner: Eric
Fact Checking:
The series starts on May 17, 1976, which was a Monday, meaning Red & Kitty threw a party on a school night. Unlikely, but I'll allow it. We all know how much Kitty likes to drink. ✔️
Todd Rundgren DID play a show in the midwest that month: May 26th with his band Utopia, in Detroit, MI. Assuming that Point Place is somewhere in the south-east region of Wisconsin (they reference Sheboygan and Kenosha throughout the series, and Laurie goes to UW in Madison), and that an entire week of life is skipped over in the episode, it would've taken the gang five to six hours to get there. Not likely, but also not impossible. A true fan would. And, that also explains the battery dying. HOWEVER, Kelso says "I think God would want us to go to Milwaukee [for the concert]," NOT Detroit, so therefore the facts do not check out. ❌